Thomasson Memorial School: school finances
Tight
Holds £21k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Bolton · Not applicable · Community special school.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £2.8m | £2.8m | -£6k | £65k | 75 |
2019-20 | £3.0m | £3.0m | +£4k | £69k | 72 |
2020-21 | £3.2m | £3.1m | +£75k | £144k | 73 |
2021-22 | £3.3m | £3.2m | +£80k | £224k | 79 |
2022-23 | £3.3m | £3.3m | -£91k | £133k | 77 |
2023-24 | £3.5m | £3.6m | -£13k | £120k | 79 |
2024-25 | £3.8m | £3.8m | +£67k | £186k | 85 |
2025-26 | £3.8m | £4.0m | -£165k | £21k | 80 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 special schools outside London closest in size and in the share of pupils on free school meals. Its reserve, as a share of income, is higher than 7% of them. It spends £50,015 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £34,048.
This school Middle half of similar schools Similar schools’ median
Show the comparison as a table
| Spending per pupil | This school | Similar schools (median) | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
Teachers | £28,265 | £11,015 | £9,447–£12,783 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £14,671 | £12,338 | £9,251–£14,497 |
Supply staff | £433 | £228 | £13–£704 |
Admin and clerical | £1,558 | £1,371 | £1,093–£1,821 |
Premises | £952 | £1,741 | £1,390–£2,111 |
Energy | £563 | £554 | £400–£740 |
Learning resources & ICT | £1,242 | £926 | £771–£1,362 |
Bought-in services | £442 | £975 | £465–£2,112 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Axis Academy Large reserves
- Clifton Hill School Large reserves
- Hopescourt School Large reserves
- Woodbridge Road Academy Healthy
- Southview School Large reserves
- Hall School Large reserves
- Oak Tree School Tight
- Westfield School Large reserves
- The Dales School Healthy
- Paternoster School Healthy
- Horton Lodge Community Special School Healthy
- Acorns Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.8m | £47,852 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £2.4m | £29,746 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £44k | £555 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £8k | £101 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Spending on teachers is £28,265 a pupil, against a typical £11,015 for similar schools. What's behind that?
Check these figures
Every figure here comes from the school's published return to the DfE. Check it on the DfE benchmarking page for this school, and see how the status is worked out.
Admissions, Ofsted and results for Thomasson Memorial School · All Bolton school finances